I did get to play more! VSN is a lot of fun! I just wish I had a computer down my craft area so I could participate more in the dialog and see more of what everyone else was doing. I guess I can do that later. Between getting dinner made and cleaned up and everybody ready for bed I was able to do 2 more challenges.


The first one (second challenge today) was to have stitching on it and since I was not going to drag out my sewing machine and set it up I did the faux stitching technique (paper piercing and connecting the dots with pen). The colors used were Basic Gray, Soft Sky and Wild Wasabi. The stamp sets used were Live your Dreams (available in the current Occasions Mini Catalog) and En Francais. I used some older DSP (my goal is to start using all of this paper that I have and not buy any new paper~ unless I have to have it!) The accessories used were the photo corner punch, paper piercing mat pack, basic gray taffeta ribbon, 1 3/8" circle punch, a marvy scallop punch and some fun little pebbles that I got the other day.

Anyways, I will share with you the other VSN project I made tomorrow (or later today I guess since it is 1 am... I am a bonehead!)

Plus, I created a fun new thing (I think it's new- I haven't seen it before) that I would love to show to you and perhaps do my first ever tutorial! Check back.

So I am hopefully going to attempt a few of the VSN challenges over at Splitcoast today/tomorrow. Hopefully the family cooperates (questionable). Plus, it's been beautiful outside- I don't want to spend all my time down in the cold dark basement... just part of it. I had a few minutes so I tried the first challenge which was to make a card inspired by this dress:

Wow! It's a bright one. Can't say I would ever wear it- but I can be inspired by it. I don't have a spectrum pad and I wasn't "feeling" the black & brights combo. So this is what I came up with:

So, I am sure you can really see all the simillarities (I never can remember how to spell that...). Ya! Just in case you can't (insert sarcasm):

• The bold colors- mine are just a little muted in comparison.
• The top flower's petals reminded me of the dress's wings (don't think I have any dresses with wings... will have to get me one of them!)
• The line art on the print of the dress and my background paper.
• The orange strip is kinda like the neck of the dress.

So, clear as mud? Hopefully I will get more done... by the way, my house is still a mess!

Good to be back... again.

We had a great week with our friends! It was so good to be together and see the kids rekindle their friendships.

So since I was having such a wonderful time with good friends I didn't have time to make anything. While doing other things I did come up with some ideas that will be fun to put on paper.

This is one of them:

I finally rec'd my CB folder "swiss dots" and have just about "dotted" every piece of paper around! I LOVE it! The card base is Chocolate Chip cardstock folded so it opens upwards. The green paper is adhesive backed textured paper my mom gave me(it's from Quickcutz)- I embossed it with the dots and then sanded the top to show the white core. I love this color- it's not quite an olive color (when side by side with SU!'s olive) but has more of a kiwi color added into it. I finally put together my Doodle This set that I have had forever! I stamped the swirly in Old Olive Classic ink on a whisper white piece of cardstock and backed it with chocolate chip. I put together the flowers from the Flower Fusion felt flowers and used brown brads to adhere them together. The Purely Pomegranate cardstock is also "dotted" and then wrapped with the double stitched ribbon. The bottom has a little brown pebble just give some more dimension. The inside is lined with Purely Pomegranate and Whisper White cardstock to write on. The inside sentiment I used is from Time Well Spent ("time spent with friends is time well spent"). I am sending this to my friend that was just up for a visit. I miss her already!

I hope to be back tomorrow! I have missed some great SCS challenges that I would love to catch up on. But I have a ton of cleaning to do now- so we'll see where my priorities are tomorrow!

I will be back soon!

I haven't been around the blogging world for a week +. I have been sick and now I am trying to get the house ready for company and for the Easter brunch we are having at our house this Sunday. I have a high maintenance yard- lots of garden space with lotsa weeds! Not so fun to hide Easter Eggs in weeds... I hope to have a chance to play when my best friend is in town- we may be talking so much that there isn't time... but I will be back soon.

Cast all of your cares on to the cross...

"Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." I Peter 5:7

I do love that verse... it evokes such peace in my heart. This new set from Papertrey ink, Everyday Blessings is such a beautiful set. It has many uplifting verses and sayings and a couple of elegant crosses and flourishes. With the crosses it is perfect for Easter but is great when you want to send a religious or inspirational/encouraging card to someone special.

The card base is PTI's new Spring Moss with their new Everyday Blessings Background Paper matted in white cardstock. The top paper is also from their background paper collection. The beautiful Satin Ribbon is in the Spring Moss ribbon collection. The bold background part of the cross is stamped in Spring Moss Palette ink and the decorative part and the verse is stamped in Burnt Umber Palette ink. There is also a small rhinestone in the center of the cross.

All supplies (except for the rhinestone) are products from Papertrey Ink.

I will post some work soon!

I have been so busy the last week with trying to work in my garden before it gets any more out of control! I have so many things blooming right now- especially WEEDS! I am learning as I go so it is taking me awhile. Plus, I am ripping out all of the sickly plants and healthy weeds out of a section in order to turn it into a veggie garden- I am so excited for home grown 'matoes, lettuce, basil, cucumbers, zuc's and more! Any of you have some veggies or fruit that have grown well for you? Please let me know- I have a ton of space and really want to utilize the space and save money on groceries this summer...

I will post some pictures of what is blooming now in awhile.

Today on Beate's Blog she had her Tuesday inspiration challenge. It was a Vera Bradley purse that was chocolate brown with bright colored flowers- very fun. I didn't have much time (Evan no longer thinks he needs long naps) so I wasn't going to be able to color much or cut out much. So I decided to use (not hoard- big step for me) my Felt Flowers from SU!'s Flower Fusion. I really like the texture and dimension those little flowers give to a project. With all of the different sizes, shapes and colors I was able to make them all look different. My Purely Pomegranate card base is cut to fit the Small Open-End Envelopes which made it 6 1/2" x 3 1/4". I then cut and distressed (using the cutter kit) a piece of Old Olive Cardstock to 6" x 2 3/4". On top of that is piece of Chocolate Chip Cardstock cut slightly smaller than the olive paper. The card base and the chocolate chip cardstock have the swirl from Baroque Motifs stamped in VersaMark on them. The verse is Numbers 6:24-25 from the Everyday Blessings set from Papertrey Ink stamped in black. The ribbon is from the Sherbert Ribbon Originals and the brads and ribbon slide are from the Aged Copper Hodgepodge Hardware.




I also used a felt flower and a PTI sentiment stamp on the envelope.

Have a great day today- hopefully your weather today is as beautiful
as ours.